** ** ** ???Bastill ** ** **
Bastill was startled awake by the sounds of pained screaming. He had a light headache, but nothing he couldn’t ignore. Looking around he couldn’t see anything in trouble. He had foxes everywhere and strangely he also had adventures looking around for the noise.
When the hell did they get here?
The sound seemed to be coming from up above, but for some reason he couldn’t view his first floor. The adventurers seemed to be getting along with the foxes, so he left them alone for now. They seemed harmless enough.
The Last things he remembered were fighting against hordes of spiders and trying to get rid of all the mana from the deaths after losing control of them. Had the adventurer’s helped? He had struggled to get rid of the mana only to be over filled once again. The deaths had just filled it up too quickly for him to alleviate it.
He remembered his last-ditch effort had been drilling his mana straight down as a last-ditch effort. There had been around three hundred spider deaths in all and the last couple had been killed too quickly for him to control the mana output. Looking around he couldn’t sense anymore spiders. Remembering he had been out for a while he quickly checked his notification to make sure he wasn’t overflowing again. He didn’t want another occurrence of whatever had happened.
Status
-Fractured
-Effect unknown.
Well shit, this can’t be good.
He had no clue what it meant but fractured was akin to being broken. Before wasting more time, he checked his next notification.
Mana Capacity Full
-You need one more Floor Bosses
- Currently Holding 550/550
-Excess Mana Leaking Out
Well he was not going to explode at least. Or had he already? He felt that there might be a chance since he was apparently fractured. He would try to work healing his mind and core in a bit. He had sent some foxes to explore upstairs, while he looked at the notifications, but they just whimpered saying they couldn’t do it.
He decided the noise he had heard was from the spiders that were still upstairs. Since it didn’t seem like his creatures could leave and not wanting the spiders to attack again he sealed off the staircase with granite. Deciding to put that to the side for now he looked at the next notification.
Choices to Make
+ Pick a Catalyst
- Demon Heart
-Angel Feather
-Cinders of Phoenix
-Mermaid Tear
-Bottled Hurricane
-Living Diamond
+ Select One Ability
- Dungeons Aura
-Mysterious Journal
-Summon
That’s right I leveled up!
Spending the mana was important so that he wasn’t wasteful. Seeing as he already had plenty of animals he found it was his best interest to expand his influence. He attempted to reclaim his first floor, but he was unable to. Something was preventing him. He felt it push back against his consciousness, when he focused on it he felt that it was angry.
Whatever happened must have made it non-reclaimable. Well when you can’t go up just keep going forward.
He decided his best strategy was to excavate to the other side of the mountain. It would help to put this disaster behind him and focus on the positive. He felt it was the right decision. He didn’t make the decision immediately. He didn’t want to just jump to conclusions recklessly after all. One needed to be thoughtful in order to be productive.
He began digging and expanding his conscious to the other side of the mountain. He would be able to open a new cave there, he thought rationally. He began to go into deep thought as he mind numbingly expanded his conscious. Expanding seemed to help reduce the head pain to nothing. He debated what option from the choices he should choose. After a good hour he decided on Dungeons Aura and Angel Feather. They seemed to follow the pattern of the basic elemental sources he had heard about once. A Demon Heart was from an unholy creature which made it related to darkness, Angel Feather was from a holy creature which meant light, Cinders of Phoenix was from a fire creature, Mermaid Tear was from a water creature, Bottled Hurricane was a natural wind disaster, and Living Diamond must have been part of the earth.
He honestly wanted all of them, but it’s better to be grateful for what you are given. No sense getting mad at what you can’t have. He chose angel feather for he had never heard of people ever meeting angels. He had always been curious about heaven. He chose the dungeon aura because he felt that might help him grow stronger as a core, as well for his creatures. Thoughtfully he looked upon kitsune. He would need to make another floor boss soon if he wanted to advance to the next level.
As he began his meditative state of expanding his mind and thinking upon his life. Some memories came back. He remembered the adventurers now. Alice had been here before. He began to reflect on his behavior since becoming a core. He couldn’t tell if he was more prone to vengeance then before or if it was the act of being sacrificed to from a dungeon core that cause all the anger he seemed to be feeling. He always seemed to be lashing out at the nearest being that irked him. It wasn’t so long ago that he had threatened to kill a pair of birds that he preceded to live next to. Then there was also the case of wanting to behead the girl that not only discovered him and could help him gain more strength by bringing more adventures. Not to mention that he went to wanting to kill the intruder, to promising some mysterious bonus gift, to wanting to behead her. It had seemed like such a great idea at the time.
He was beginning to fear that maybe not all of him made it into the amethyst during the sacrificial ceremony. But he must have been getting better, before he couldn’t even relax in his own thoughts without panicking. Given that he did have just under five years now to beat an over powered dark sorceress. Maybe this was a rational reaction. It probably didn’t help that he couldn’t move at all. Not having legs and arms was definitely not favorable at all. However, now he enjoyed basking in his thoughts. He enjoyed the deep philosophical train of thought he had. It was very meditative and healing.
He reflected on his past and present lives. Remembering the way his master had trained him in the art of sculpting. By focusing the mind and easing into a mental state that would allow him not to create what he wanted, but what needed to be made. It was these calming thoughts that reformed and sculpted his mind. Easing the pains he had had earlier.
What would master want me to do? It’s always important to move forward. Let’s see what I can do.
Remembering the birds, he decided to re make them. His plan was to make a ranged scout to report to him. It would help him when he made a new entrance on the other side of this mountain. Focusing on the image of them he began to push the thought of them into the creation process, but his mana didn’t move. Nothing happened. Mentally frowning he decided to check his stat menu.
Stat Menu
Level:6 Race: Dungeon Core Name: Bastill
Characteristics
Mana Capacity: 550/550 Mana Absorption: 200/day
Creatures:100 Rooms:2 Floors:1
Abilities
Expand Consciousness- You can now use mana to expand your body around you, which in turn gives you a greater area of control. Current mana cost: 1 mana per every 4 cubic foot.
Passive Mana Absorption- You no longer need to pull mana to you. It is now naturally drawn towards your core. Current rate 200/Day. To increase grow stronger or larger.
Stone Touch- Due to your talent and diligence your ability working with stone has increased. You have a great understanding of the stone you work and are able to make stone you work on glow with radiance.
Observe- Ability to see the level and vocation of other creatures, while seeing the whole stat menu of dungeon creatures.
Forced Evolution- Ability to see inject mana into a creature body part or characteristic, which will evolve the creature and raise its level and abilities.
Dissolve- Lets you dissolve matter and recreate learned matter with mana.
Mind Speak- More complex form of basic communication with lesser creatures.
Learned
Materials -1 cubic foot
Quartz:5, Granite: .2, Marble:10,
Creatures
Insects- Leaf Imitator: .2, Stick Bug: .2, Praying Mantis: .3, Centipede: .3,
Animals- Grey Squirrel:10, Red Fox: 35, Hedge Hog: 12, Racon: 25, Deer: 40, wolf: 45, Bear: 60, goat: 35, Hare: 12, Beaver: 20,
Created Beasts- Bloody Fox: 90
Objects
Toad Stool: .1, Moon Shade: .5, Mandrake root: 1, acorn:.1, fern: .1, elder berry bush: .1, whistling leaf: .1, and elves ear: .5.
Fluid- Per Bottle
Medium Health Potion: 20
Catalysts
Ceremonial BloodConfused [https://forum.royalroadl.com/images/smilies/confused.png]??
This must be related to being fractured.
He noticed that several learned patterns were missing. Even his magic ability was gone. His passive mana absorption was greatly lowered, but that was to be expected since he lost an entire floor and five rooms. That was really too bad. But no sense in getting worked up over it. He was alive after all and that was the important piece. Continuing his expansion to the other side of the mountain to make a new first floor and exit to the dungeon.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
It's important to keep my masters words in mind. They will guide me to a brighter future. I need to develop as a dungeon to protect myself, but what can I use?
** ** ** Bastill??? ** ** **
Ughh my fucking head! I feel like I downed the whole tavern last night. What happened last night?
He couldn’t seem to get his thoughts or memoires in order. Turning his awareness out towards his domain, he was welcomed by the sight of spiders crawling all over. They were everywhere. On the walls, ceilings. A large majority of his rooms were composed of large nests of webbing. He could feel about four-hundred and fifty spiders crawling around him. Which absolutely didn’t feel creepy at all…
Ahh well fuck I guess I am a spider dungeon after all… I feel like I’m missing something important. Oh Dear Living God Of Everything Holy! WHAT IS THAT?!
In a small crack in a room of his room that he decided to check he was welcome to a sight of fifty little furry fuckers being cannibalized from the inside out by a hundred spiders each.
I can’t believe you little fuckers do that. Either learn to lay FUCKING EGGS or GET THE FUCK OUT!
All five-thousand-four-hundred spiders stopped skittering around immediately. Then five seconds later they were heading for the door in mass. He didn’t believe he had control of them before, “Stop.”
Well this is interesting. They seem to listen to me.
They all stopped moving as one. He thought this was rather fun. Despite their nasty ass birthing methods he had personally witnessed for the first time, they were quite fun to watch move around in unison. Focusing in on his own position in the dungeon he noticed that he was lying on a table underneath a beautiful statue of a goddess. Captivated he continued to look it over before reading the plaque, “Here I stand, the Goddess of The Dungeon, I weep for those Adventurers who fall, gift to me and I will it in kind, I will watch over you. For I am the Goddess of The Dungeon.”
A few synapses formed in his beaten down core. He had been whole before. He had been fine before hand without with pain.
Adventures… Adventures… The fucking adventures did this! That’s right! Those living pieces of digested cow intestines! Where have they gone? I will rip their damn heads off.
Some more memories came back to him in rapid succession giving him a enormous eruptions of pain in his mind.
Oh for the love of furry spider fucks! Make the pain stop.
The pain reduced down to a back ground pain. He could finally process mentally beyond just pain. He remembered those damn adventures had come in here. They came in here fucked with his creatures and then he woke up with this massive headache.
They better not have messed with Kitsune.
Despite using all his mental capabilities he could not find his lovely fox anymore. He ordered his spiders to look. They stampeded across the floor looking for the fox.
Where is kitsune… “Kitsune? Can you hear me? Little fox?”
The spiders hadn’t reported anything back to him and he still could feel any sense of his precious friend. He finally came to the conclusion that Kitsune had died.
He’s dead… Those fuckers must have killed him… No matter he is revivable. I will just bring him back and everything will be fine.
He knew the fox was his only friend he had now. It was the only name besides Claire that he could remember. But who the hell was Claire? He had a weird thought that he had only about five years left, but he couldn’t quite place why that could be. Something inside just felt wrong, but with the blazing headache he couldn’t tell what was wrong. All he knew was he couldn’t be left alone with his own thoughts. He decided to look at his current notifications before he started planning.
Status
-Fractured
-Effect unknown.
Well that would explain why everything hurt. He must have been damaged by the damn adventurers. It just further intensified his hatred for any and all adventurers.
I’m not bloody fractured!
He looked at his core. It was indeed fractured. His little purple gym was spilt in half jaggedly. Changing any faint hope he had that the status was wrong.
Well shit I guess I am…
He was very unhappy with this situation, but with nothing else to due but grumble about his misfortune he moved on to the next notification.
Mana Capacity Full
-You need two more Floor Bosses
- Currently Holding 550/550
-Excess Mana Leaking Out
Well that sucks, but it could be worse I imagine.
For some reason he had a thought of exploding, however that didn’t make any sense and just made his head hurt more. He dismissed that thought and turned his attention to the next notification.
Choices to Make
+ Pick a Catalyst
- Demon Heart
-Angel Feather
-Cinders of Phoenix
-Mermaid Tear
-Bottled Hurricane
-Living Diamond
+ Select One Ability
- Dungeons Aura
-Mysterious Journal
-Summon
Well that was a pleasant surprise for once. He couldn’t put a finger on why he got these options, but hey he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He figured that he must have managed to level up. Before something Changed he quickly grabbed the first two that looked appealing. He grabbed the Mysterious Journal and the demon heart. He didn’t feel like thinking about his choice too much.
Now how on earth do I revive Kitsune? I probably need to remake a Bloody Fox body him. There might be some answers in the Stat Menu.
Stat Menu
Level:6 Race: Dungeon Core Name: Bastill
Characteristics
Mana Capacity: 550/550 Mana Absorption: 500/day
Creatures:5400 Rooms:5 Floors:1
Abilities
Mysterious Journal- Unknown
Passive Mana Absorption- You no longer need to pull mana to you. It is now naturally drawn towards your core. Current rate 500/Day. To increase grow stronger or larger.
Observe- Ability to see the level and vocation of other creatures, while seeing the whole stat menu of dungeon creatures.
Forced Evolution- Ability to see inject mana into a creature body part or characteristic, which will evolve the creature and raise its level and abilities.
Dissolve- Lets you dissolve matter and recreate learned matter with mana.
Mind Speak- More complex form of basic communication with lesser creatures.
Magic- Blood Magic
Learned
Materials -1 cubic foot
Coal: 20, Dirt: .1, Agate:5,
Creatures
Insects- Common Spider:.1, Flea: .05, Tick: .05, Scorpion: .3, Pill Bug: .1, Beetle: .1, Butterfly: .1, Worm: .1
Animals-, Blue Bird:15, Common Gardner Snake:5, Lizard: 5, weasel: 12, Frog: 4, Rat: 8, Bat: 8
Created Beasts- Furry Giant Spider:70
Objects
Door:1, Leaf: .1, Bird Nest: 2, High Steel Dagger: 20, Flask: 5, Steel Spear: 20,
Fluid- Per Bottle
Fire water: 5
Catalysts
Mana Infused Iron
Demon Heart
Where the FUCK is my Bloody Fox? DAMNIT, DAMNIT, DAMNIT.
He noticed that he was down to one floor as well. He tried to push his awareness down, but it met resistance. He couldn’t extend his awareness down at all. He didn’t remember leveling up to six, but he wasn’t about to argue over the good mistakes. There were so few learned objects. He could have sworn he had more. Everything hurt and felt fuzzy. Half his memories were just gone. Even his bloody learned stuff wasn’t all there. He could have sworn he had an ability to help him carve but looking through his abilities he saw nothing. He did gain the Mysterious Journal ability, he would need to investigate that in a bit. He did have blood magic though. What on earth had happened to him? He didn’t even have the ability to expand his domain. He was ruined. He tried sending spiders down to the stairs where his second floor used to be, however they would get right to the edge of the stair case before halting and refusing. It just didn’t make sense.
It was those cursed humans! It was all fine before they were here and now it’s all a mess. I will wipe out every adventurer on the earth. Those vile heathens tried to subdue me. I will show them. I will not be destroyed so easily.
As he was filled with rage he remembered a time. It was before he had become a dungeon core. He had been a human before. He remembered being ten years old stealthily creeping around the corners of his home city. He couldn’t quite remember which city, but he focuses in on the memory. He relaxed his anxious mind and let the memory take over his thoughts
** ** * Young Bastill Memory * ** **
The sky was dark and murky like the depths of the shadow. A younger young kid sat in the corner of a corner waiting. It was a young bastill. While waiting in the shadows of the alley he lay in his mind did not lay still unlike his body. Suddenly a even younger lad came sliding down one of the buildings siding right beside Bastill. He whispered his message over, “Leader found a target. We are gonna go with ‘Harvest’.”
Bastill couldn’t see anything besides the outline of the kid. The kid wouldn’t have even found him if his position wasn’t mapped out. He asked the most important question, “What’s the mark look like.”
The kid clearly struggled to remember, however since his memory relied on him being fed he quickly came to and recited what he had been told, “It’s a she, blue silk dress, coin purse underneath a fold on her right side. Minet and Spade should be tailing her.”
After going through the information a few times in his mind and deciding that he understood everything well enough he gave the kid a curt dismissal. The runner quickly climbed back up the building to report back to the center of the plan, the leader.
‘Harvest’ was a simple plan. It put one person in a dangerous position. This happened to be Bastill for this plan. He was after all their best sleight of hand with the best leveled pick pocket skill. Looking down the street from around the alleys corner he saw his target walking towards him with two kids a dozen feet back. They had to keep their distance to avoid suspicion.
Jade and Minet were expert at this. They always found ways to look inconspicuous. They would hurry to different street carts showing hungry and desiring eyes just to rush over to the next. They looked hungrily innocent.
As his mark came into range he started walking not directly at her, but making his way near her at an angle that would pass her at a distance. He would pass by her left side. As he was half a foot from passing her Minet acted her part as the distraction, “Lady! Lady! Lady! You dropped something behind you.”
As the target turned around she put Bastill in her blind spot with her right side closest. Now it was his turn the blade of the operation. With a flick of a dagger he gracefully sliced the cord of the coin purse from her belt and caught it with the same hand. He tried began to walk away, but then he heard the sign of his discovery,”Thief! Thief! Guards help me!”
He was sure he had pulled it off flawlessly, but now was no time for doubts. He sprinted off into the nearest alley to hide stealthily hide away.
** ** * End of Memory * ** **
I cant be a thief anymore. I need to take charge. These spiders are just young runners. They have no control or plan. I need to get my Center Piece, my Distraction, and my Knife. I need a plan.
He spoke to all his creatures, “I am calling forth the strongest of my brethren. Come forth.”
After a bit of chittering among the denizens of the dungeon they seemed to come to an agreement and three spiders crawled forward unto the goddess of the dungeon. Each had scars among them from fighting, but they had turned out to be stronger through the experience. He through more feel then actual thought he began injecting mana into them. It would have been easier to get it done all at once starting one and finishing it then moving to the next, but he wanted strong creatures. To be strong you had to understand suffering. He understood suffering. The adventurers saw to that. He spoke into their minds as he worked, “I will name you three Thanatos, Nyx, and Hades. Hades you shall be my ruler. Thanatos you shall be my distractor. Nyx you shall be my knife. They think they can fuck with a dungeon well let’s give them a chance to think again,” the Spiders meanwhile were squealing in pain as he spoke to them.
To Thanatos he made his legs like scythes. Every single leg became a sharpened weapon. He increased the muscle tone to make the little beast capable at moving at amazing speed with a startling strength. He was grown to four feet tall. However even more frightening where his legs which were elongated and now double jointed. He was stretched out over eighteen feet. His fur was removed, but his carapace was pitch black. If it wasn’t bright then he was practically invisible. His webbing was now hardened and contained a potent toxin to cause immense pain, which couldn’t rival the fangs which could kill the victim with its pain alone. If someone got that close they probably should already be dead, due to the terrifying eight bladed legs. He personified the very visage of death.
Nyx ended up shrinking in size. He became on foot tall and one-foot long. His legs where made sturdy. He was capable of jumping short distances away now. His fur was further evolved. They now started to actively mix in the back ground he hid in. He was capable of hiding in light of day without being seen. His toxin was capable of paralyzing victims for up to an hour. It acted extremely quickly through the blood stream. His webbing was enhanced to be extra adhesive, which would be perfect for trap making. He would be the unseen scout.
Hades looked much like the original version of the spider, but he towered at a staggering ten feet tall, with a twenty foot length. He was grey with a symbol of a massive white of a skull with a crown on his back. He was a behemoth. The most impressive part of the beast was the enormous brain that was in his skull. Bastill even had to widen the skull cavity to make more room. The carapace of his beast was strengthened a dozen times over making it as hard as High Steel. He would be the king and ruler of his little underworld.
He had gifted Thanatos with a catalyst of Mana Infused Iron. Feeling it best for his deadly scythe legs. To Nyx and Hades he used the demon heart as a catalyst. They were a sight to see. The other spiders cowered in reverence and respect before the three specimens. “It’s time to fight back my brethren. We will not be defeated by the humans. I present you your new leaders. Nyx of Darkness, Thanatos of Death, and the ruler of all, Hades the Underlord.”
New Floor Boss
Named: Thanatos of Death
Named: Nyx of Darkness
Named: Hades the Underlord
+Revivable
Great I have made new floor bosses!
New Creature Evolved
Learned Scythe Legged Giant Huntsman Spider
New Creature Evolved
Learned Concealed Giant Jumping Spider
New Creature Evolved
Learned Overlord Giant Fringed Spider
Having learned how to make them he could also make common forms of them. They would be much weaker then the floor bosses, but that could only be expected.
Well if I can’t expand my conscious downwards anymore then I will just expand my creatures across the earth. I will get my revenge on the humans who dared take my only friend away. I am done waiting. Its time for action. It’s time for…
New Ability Learned!
Corrupt Dungeon- Spread your awareness through expanding your creatures across the surface.
If dungeons could smile he would have.
It’s time for a Harvest.